Our discovery with Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis

Arthritis Facts

Approximately 294,000 children under the age of 18 are affected by pediatric arthritis and rheumatologic conditions.1

State prevalence numbers for pediatric arthritis and rheumatologic conditions are available in the “Prevalence of and Annual Ambulatory Health Care Visits for Pediatric Arthritis and Other Rheumatologic Conditions in the US in 2001-2004”.2

Juvenile arthritis is one of the most common childhood diseases in the United States.4

Arthritis and related conditions, such as juvenile arthritis, cost the U.S. economy nearly $128 billion per year in medical care and indirect expenses, including lost wages and productivity.5

-More than 46 million Americans have arthritis, making it the most common cause of disability in the United States.

– There are more than 100 forms of arthritis and related diseases.-

– Walking 30 minutes a day can reduce the risk of getting some forms or arthritis.

– Arthritis is the cause of nearly 10,000 deaths and 750,000 hospitalizations annually.

– By the year 2030, it is estimated that more than 67 million American adults will suffer from some form of arthritis.

– For every dollar donated to the Arthritis Foundation, 83 cents goes directly towards the funding of research and programming

Systemic juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, affects many systems of the body. Children may have high fevers, skin rashes, and problems caused by inflammation of the internal organs such as the heart, spleen, liver, and other parts of the digestive tract. It usually, but not always, begins in early childhood. Medical professionals sometimes call this Still’s disease. This type accounts for about 20% of cases of juvenile rheumatoid arthritis.

Pauciarticularjuvenile rheumatoid arthritis, which affects four or fewer joints. Symptoms include pain, stiffness, or swelling in the joints. The knee and wrist joints are the most commonly affected. An inflammation of the iris may occur with or without active joint symptoms. This inflammation, called iridocyclitis, iritis, or uveitis, can be detected early by an ophthalmologist.

Polyarticular arthritis, a disease affects only a few joints, fewer than 5. The large joints, such as the shoulder, elbow, hip, and knee, are most likely to be affected. This type of juvenile rheumatoid arthritis is most common in children younger than 8 years. Children who develop this disease have a 20-30 percent chance of developing inflammatory eye problems and need frequent eye examinations. Children who develop this disease when older than 8 years have a higher-than-normal risk of developing an adult form of arthritis. About 50 percent of all children with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis have this type.

cause high, spiking fevers of 103 degrees or higher, lasting for weeks or even months

cause a rash consisting of pale, red spots on the child’s chest, thighs and sometimes other parts of the body

cause arthritis in the small joints of the hands, wrists, knees and ankles

Juvenile Spondyloarthropies (ankylosing spondylitis, seronegative enthesopathy and arthropathy syndrome) are a group of diseases that involve the spine and joints of the lower extremities, most commonly the hips and knees.

Juvenile Psoriatic Arthritis is a type of arthritis affecting both girls and boys that occurs in association with the skin condition psoriasis.

Juvenile Dermatomyositis is an inflammatory disease that causes muscle weakness and a characteristic skin rash on the eyelids.